The present invention relates to pipe bag covers. The invention is designed to replace the sagging and loose fitting pipe bag covers when the bag is compressed with a one of a kind, breathable, body molding cover. The cover of the present design is capable of fitting any and all levels of pipes.
Earlier pipe bag covers were made from cowhide, sheepskin, and occasionally Gortex® or were hybrid bags having an animal hide outside and a synthetic inside. Moreover, these pipe bag covers were composed of two half-moon shaped panels, which were sewn together. These bag covers tend to resist flexing and not easily expand to accommodate differently sized pipe bags, and it is common for bagpipers to have problems finding an appropriately sized pipe bag cover without simply trying out covers of all different sizes until they find one that will fit their pipe bag. The sizes of these pipe bag covers range from approximately 23 inches (or less) for an extra small pipe bag, to 23-26 inches for a small pipe bag, to 26-28 inches for a medium pipe bag, and 28-30 inches for a large pipe bag.
Sometimes a smaller bag cover may affect the sound of the bagpipe, which causes a problem for the user. This non-fit of the pipe bag cover results in bagpipers having to create custom made bag covers to fit the precise proportions of their pipe bags. This can result in a bagpiper having to wait months for their bag cover to be delivered from the custom cover manufacturer, and also with an increased cost.
Once a bagpiper receives a new pipe bag cover that is made from animal hide, they must learn how to “tie-in” the bag cover and also how to “season” the bag cover. Seasoning is the process of keeping a hide bag airtight by having to consistently apply a gooey concoction, which tends to make the bag airtight trapping moisture inside the bag where it can cause both short and long-term problems. Presently existing bag covers have less “give,” i.e. flexibility, because they are made from a non-stretchable fabric, such as animal hide.
Synthetic replacements for leather have been tried over the years, one obvious example being rubber. Some Italian and Spanish pipes are commonly found with rubber bag covers, but the problem, again, is moisture. The inside of the rubber pipe bag cover quickly turns into a sauna, with detrimental effects on the reeds and eventually on the wood of the pipes.
A continuing problem with pipe bag covers is the drooping and falling from the proper carrying placement for the instrument. The pipe bag and cover should be carried and rest between the mid side torso and the upper arm of the user. However, once air is released from the pipe bag for the blowing of the pipes and the internal pressure changes, the pipe bag contracts and the bag cover, which had been tightly fitting about the pipe bag, becomes loose and usually drops down toward the waist and elbow of the bagpiper. The bagpiper must constantly readjust the pipe bag position while playing the instrument, which can make the bagpipe cumbersome for the piper due to the constant shifting while playing the pipes.
A few years ago bags using high-tech synthetic materials that are airtight but breathable so moisture can escape were developed, and have become popular especially for the Great Highland Bagpipe. The most common of these materials is Gortex.® Drawbacks to Gortex® include price, reliability, and feel. Gortex® is easier to accidentally tear or puncture. Also, many long-time pipers do not like the sudden looser, more flexible feeling of a Gortex® bag under the bag cover. A further complaint is that the Gortex® bag does not stay put under the arm as easily as leather and that it tends to slither around inside the bag cover.
Therefore, a need exists for a bag cover that is not stiff and unyielding, and is capable of expansion and then contraction back to its original size and shape without dropping away from the bagpiper's hold, moving out of instrument playing position while in use.
A need also exists for a bag cover that can be used by a variety of pipers, without the requirement for custom manufacture, and that can be made available quickly at a lesser cost to the piper. A need also exists for a bag cover to be made from a breathable material so that moisture is not trapped inside the pipe bag cover.
Still further, a need exists for a bag cover that does not need to be “tied-in” to the pipe bag or to be “seasoned”, once the bagpiper receives the bag cover, so that the bag cover is relatively maintenance free.